Navigation Bar

Shop With Me!

Color Combination Ideas

Monday, April 9, 2018

Variety is the spice of life and that’s especially true in the world of color. Stampin’ Up! makes a point to keep an eye on color trends across different markets and industries. When we see changes happening, we review our color spectrum to ensure that we remain consistently on top of the trends. This beautiful new variety of shades will inspire your creativity and allow you to explore more sides of your crafting!

IN COLORS

There are no changes to the In Color program. Every two years we will continue to introduce five new In Colors that will be available for the ensuing two years.
However, with the color revamp, we have six previous In Colors that are returning and joining our core colors:

Blackberry Bliss

Coastal Cabana

Flirty Flamingo

Mossy Meadow

Poppy Parade

Mint Macaron

And here is the new 2018-2019 In Color Lineup:

NEW COLORS

Without further ado, I'd like to introduce you to our NEW colors:

NEW COLOR COLLECTIONS

Stampin' Up! explored different ways to group colors into collections; they wanted each collection to have a color spectrum
element and include colors that worked best together. This means that they have made some changes to existing collections and some colors have been moved to different groups. Here is your new color collection palette (click to enlarge):

Basic Black, Very Vanilla and Whisper White have been split off into a new "Basics" group.

NEW INK PAD CASES

Our current ink pad case’s manufacturing mold was about to expire. The mold can only be used a limited number of times before we need to
replace it, so Stampin' Up! had to decide if they wanted to order more of the same molds or try to improve the design. They chose to
improve it!
This aligned perfectly with the color revamp and some improvements to our ink. This way, when you invest in the new colors, you will be getting a brand new ink and case at one time making it the most
cost efficient way for you.

INK PAD CASE FAQ's

WHAT’S BETTER ABOUT THE CASE?
We wanted the new case to:• Be less confusing to open.
Opening the new ink pad case is now more simple and intuitive—just insert your
thumb in the “lip” at the front of the case and lift it to open.

• Have a tighter fit between the lid and the base.
With the new design, the lid doesn’t accidentally become
disconnected which was a common problem with the old case style. With use, the lid will be easier to slide open
and close.

• Be stackable.
The ability to stack the cases makes them easier to store and transport. We designed a nub in each
bottom corner that fits nicely into the “dimple” on the top of another case.

• Include improved labels and stickers. Here are a few of the ways we’ve done that:

We’ve redesigned the front label with a cleaner, bolder design and larger color swatch, making it easier
to see the ink’s color.

We’ve included a new In Color icon.

We’re continuing to provide color stickers that you can place on the end of each case to easily identify the
ink’s color at a glance.

We’re providing a new color sticker you can place on the inside of the pad, so your customers can easily
distinguish the ink’s color when the case is open

IS THE INK DIFFERENT?
Since we were improving the case we decided to make improvements to the ink as well!
We added defoamer to the ink ingredients because we noticed that our old ink would sometimes bubble (especially on new
pads and with lighter colors). When this happened, the ink wasn’t as even and smooth when stamped as we’d like to see it.

The added defoamer will:

Reduce ink bubbles

Help you get an even coating of ink on the stamp

Help the stamped image have a smoother, solid look

CAN I USE AN OLD INK REFILL ON A NEW INK PAD OR A NEW INK PAD REFILL ON AN OLD INK PAT?
Yes! You absolutely can with the exception of the Basic Gray Archival
and Basic Gray Classic Stampin’ inks. Archival and Classic inks should
not be mixed. All other Classic Stampin’ inks will work fine.

HOW DO I KNOW IF MY CLASSIC INK REFILL HAS THE NEW AND IMPROVED INK?
Beginning with the 2018–2019 Annual Catalog, all ink refills will have the improved ink formula. Also, if you recently received an ink refill and it has the new branding label, it contains the improved ink formula. The old designs of the Classic Pads & Ink Refills are guaranteed through May 7, 2018; then, available while supplies last May 7–31, 2018

WHERE IS THE ARCHIVAL INK?
Archival ink will no longer be part of our ink offering. Basic Gray will now be part of the Classic Stampin’ ink family. Please note that you cannot use an archival ink refill on the new Basic Gray Classic Stampin’ Pad, as this will ruin the new ink pad. Only use Classic Stampin’ ink refills on Classic Stampin’ pads. Your best options for black ink pads are the Tuxedo Black Memento Pad, to use with Blends and general black stamping needs, and the Jet Black StāzOn Pad, to use for watercolor and nonporous surface stamping. Both will be part of our ink offering. We are confident that both the Memento and StāzOn pads are high-quality inks that perform to your needs.

WILL THE PRICING CHANGE WITH THE UPDATE TO THE INK PAD CASES?
Yes, there will be a $1 price increase with the updated Classic Stampin’ Pads.

WILL THE UPDATED CLASSIC STAMPIN' CASE FIT IN THE COLOR CADDY?
Yes, it will fit into the Color Caddy–just not as tightly as the previous ink pad style. If you’ve stored the updated pads in your caddy, you’ll want to be careful when rotating the caddy and not turn it too fast. We are working on a new storage solution for the updated Classic Stampin’ Pad case for the future.

LOYALTY REWARDS - When you purchase $50 or more, you qualify for my Loyalty Rewards program! This Frequent Stamper program is my way of saying "thank you" to my returning customers in appreciation of their business and is in addition to other Stampin' Rewards. Earn FREE stamps with MarieStamps.com!

We're saying goodbye to retiring products from the 2017-2018 annual catalog and this is your LAST CHANCE to get them! Retiring products
will only be available until May 31, or while supplies last, so now's a
great time to get what you need before they're gone! Accessories will go FAST - especially the retiring In Colors, so don't delay!!!

*Note:
Due to high demand for retiring stamps, we'll keep producing retiring
stamps until May 25 (not accessories - accessories are only while supplies
last).

RETIRING LIST
These lists are updated
daily to show the availability of all retiring products. Download the
PDF for a quick reference, or use the Excel file to sort the list by
product name, price, page number, discount, availability, or product
type. Check back regularly to make sure you have the most up-to-date
information.

COLOR REVAMP & RETIRING COLORS!!! This brings me to the 2018 Color Revamp!
In order to keep bringing you the most current and on trend colors,
Stampin' Up! decided it was time to give our color collections a
makeover with the new catalog effective June 1. This beautiful new variety of shades will inspire your
creativity and allow you to explore more sides of your crafting, however it does mean we will have to say goodbye to many of our current colors. I wanted to get the retirement
info out right away, so you don't miss out on your favorites!!! I’ll
be sharing more information on the new colors coming tomorrow!

COLORS WILL SELL OUT QUICKLY!!! My advice is to scoop up the
paper, ink pads, ink refills and coordinating products in your favorite
retiring colors before they are gone!

All retiring items are only available while supplies last and will be discontinued after May 31.

Due to high demand for retiring stamp sets, retiring stamp sets will be guaranteed available until May 25; all other products are not guaranteed and are only available while supplies last.

Retiring items are eligible for Stampin’ Rewards with qualifying orders.
Retiring host sets can only be purchased using Stampin’ Rewards from a qualifying party.

Depending on inventory levels, discounts on select products may be introduced on or after May 8.
These discounts will not be preannounced.
Discounts may vary by market depending on inventory levels.
If you buy a product at retail price and then it is later discounted, Stampin’ Up! will not refund the difference.
If there is a product you want, we recommend buying it right away and not waiting to see if it’s discounted later or you risk it being sold out.

Order deadline:
Tuesday, May 31, 2018; 11:50 PM (MT)

LOYALTY REWARDS - When you purchase $50 or more, you qualify for my Loyalty Rewards program! This Frequent Stamper program is my way of saying "thank you" to my returning customers in appreciation of their business and is in addition to other Stampin' Rewards. Earn FREE stamps with MarieStamps.com!

Sunday, April 8, 2018

This weekend was Stampin' Up's OnStage Local Events. I attended the Hartford event and had a great time with all my stampin' friends! I thought I'd share a few of the pics from the weekend! I will update this post tomorrow with a sneak peek of the goodies we got at the event. This shot was with my upline, Melody Tess Rollins (back left) and sidelines Marion Swaim, Monica Giberti and Angela Khan.

Too bad my face is so shadowed by sign in this one! I could have used it to update my profile pic finally otherwise.

Friday night, I attended a business tips dinner with these
lovely ladies at Vivo! It was a lot of fun and I think we all learned from each
other.

Saturday night, I gathered with team members for dinner at Firebox, a local farm to table restaurant that was delicious! I forgot to take pictures of our group, but I did get these two shots of my delicious dinner and dessert....

4/9/18 Update: This is a photo I snapped as soon as I got back to the hotel room showing most of the awesome swag we got at the event. Spoiler alert!

LOYALTY REWARDS - When you purchase $50 or more, you qualify for my Loyalty Rewards program! This Frequent Stamper program is my way of saying "thank you" to my returning customers in appreciation of their business and is in addition to other Stampin' Rewards. Earn FREE stamps with MarieStamps.com!

Thursday, April 5, 2018

Earlier this week, I shared my Hungry Mouse Punch Art Card that I made for an OnStage card swap. I promised to share my second entry into a Punch Art card swap and here it is! I just love all the mermaid stamps we have now! My office is actually a feminine aqua decor with a few sea and mermaid accents and inspired me to choose a mermaid as my next punch art project. I decided to model her after Ariel, the Little Mermaid!

I used our new Brusho Crystal Colours for the "ocean" background using a "smash" technique. Every one of them came out differently! I just love Brusho and have had so much fun trying out new ways to experiment with them!

That Prussian Blue can be a bit difficult to wash off though! And this was AFTER the first washing!!! Took a lot more scrubbing, Gender Bender soap and washing my hair to get most of it off! LOL.

You might be able to see the "cupping" of the bra a bit better in this one?

Body: Punch one lemon from the Lemon Builder Punch with Blushing Bride card stock. Draw lines with Blushing Bride Marker to give the illusion of arms. Sponge Blushing Bride on edges. After adhering tail, add a dot for the belly button with the Blushing Bride marker.

Head: Punch one 1-1/4" Circle from Blushing Bride for head. Sponge Blushing Bride on edges. Using the eraser on a new pencil, stamp Blushing Bride Circles onto face for cheeks. Punch two 1/8" Circles for eyes from Pacific Point and adhere with Fine-tip Glue Pen. Draw mouth with Basic Black Stampin' Write Marker.

Tail: Cut one Paisley Framelit piece from Emerald Envy. Nip the top with the 1-1/4" Circle Punch as shown. Hand-cut off the end of the tail as shown. Run the tail through the Petal Burst Embossing Folder to simulate scales.

Fins: Cut two leaves from the Lemon Builder Punch with Emerald Envy. Run through the Seaside Embossing Folder. Apply Wink of Stella. Use Mini Glue Dots to adhere to the end of the tail.

Waist "fins"?: Punch one mask from the Fox Builder Punch with Emerald Envy. Apply Wink of Stella. Adhere to the tail at the waistline with Mini Glue Dots.

Hair: Punch 6-7 tails from the Fox Builder Punch with Real Red card stock. Use Mini Glue Dots to adhere tails to each other around head flipping in different directions. Stamp and punch starfish from Blossom Builder Punch with Crumb Cake cardstock. Apply Wink of Stella (I used my custom colored one with Crushed Curry and Soft Suede reinker added to give a golden glow).

Shell Bra: Punch two 3/4" Circles. Place on the sticky strip on a post-it (shown above). Place into the Blossom Builder Punch as shown to "re-punch" the circle into a shell. Draw lines on each shell. Apply Wink of Stella over the shell. Using a fondant "ball" cake decorating tool, I rounded the backside of the shell and then applied a Mini Stampin' Dimensional inside the "cup" of each shell and adhere to the body.

LOYALTY REWARDS - When you purchase $50 or more, you qualify for my Loyalty Rewards program! This Frequent Stamper program is my way of saying "thank you" to my returning customers in appreciation of their business and is in addition to other Stampin' Rewards. Earn FREE stamps with MarieStamps.com!

Tuesday, April 3, 2018

This weekend, I will be attending the Stampin' Up! OnStage Hartford Event for the new Annual Catalog reveal, awesome stamping demonstrations, meeting fellow stamping friends, etc. I am so excited! I joined two organized Punch Art swaps for the weekend and I can't wait to show you my entries.First up is my Hungry Little Mouse card! He is eating his way right through this block of cheese. Such a cutie!

Apparently, I am whisker challenged! I just can't seem to draw them in straight and even on both sides. That is why I ultimately decided to forgo the whiskers on my mouse. I do like them though. Just not the way I draw them! And that is why I prefer stamping! LOL.

Check back later this week for my second Punch Art card! I promise, you won't be sorry!

Head: Punch one head from Smoky Slate with the Fox Builder Punch. Cut off the ears. Sponge Smoky Slate on punched piece. Stamp with the eyes & noses stamp in Basic Gray Archival.

Ears: Punch two 3/4" Circles from Smokey Slate and sponge Smoky Slate on circles. Punch two 1/2" Circles from Pink Pirouette and sponge with Blushing Bride. Adhere the pink circle on top of the Smoky Slate Circle. Adhere with glue dots behind the head.

Tail: Punch one cat from Smoky Slate with the Cat Punch. Cut off tail and adhere behind the mouse body.

Paws: Punch two paws from Smoky Slate with the Fox Builder Punch. Adhere paws to the body holding the cheese.

"Cheese" Layer: Punch a 2" Circle in the Daffodil Delight card stock where the mouse will sit. With the other circle punches punch hole of varying sizes throughout the piece. Sponge with Crushed Curry, especially around the holes. Apply Stampin' Dimensionals to the back and adhere on to the Crushed Curry layer.

LOYALTY REWARDS - When you purchase $50 or more, you qualify for my Loyalty Rewards program! This Frequent Stamper program is my way of saying "thank you" to my returning customers in appreciation of their business and is in addition to other Stampin' Rewards. Earn FREE stamps with MarieStamps.com!

This is the personal blog of Marie Shaughnessy, an Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

The content of this blog is my sole responsibility as an independent Stampin' Up! demonstrator and the use of, and content of the classes, services, or products offered on this blog are not endorsed by Stampin' Up!